Global Cafe
being a refugee in Egypt for six years.
“My first time to work in food was about 2007 when I got a job at Caritas Village,” Salih said. “I was there for six years before I left to start my own catering business.”
Salih met Langer about two years ago. She said when Langer came to her with the idea of Global Cafe, she immediately said she was in.
Salih is cooking recipes that have been passed down from generation to generation.
“Everything I am cooking was taught by my grandmother to my mother and then to me,” she said.
Chicken Shawarma and Dama with Rous, a flavorful beef dish served with rice, are two of the classic Sudanese entrees she has on the daily menu.
Her falafel with hummus should not be missed. Unlike most falafel, which can be dense, Salih’s are light and almost cake-like. “Just like my mother, I soak dried chickpeas for four to six hours, just until they are perfect,” she said. “I then grind them to make the falafel. I add lots of onion, cilantro and garlic. There is no need to add flour.”
Indra Sunuwar is the youngest of the chefs at Global Cafe. At age 16, she and her family of seven moved to Memphis from Nepal.
“We came as part of a government relocation program,” she said in explaining how their family came to Memphis from across the world. “We had a few relatives here already, so that’s why we came here.”
Like Salih, Sunuwar’s foray into the culinary field came via Caritas Village.
“(Caritas Village founder) Onie Johns encouraged me to sell my dumplings at a Binghampton festival to make some extra money,” Sunuwar said.
When deciding what to offer on her menu, Sunuwar chose recipes that she cooks often at home.
“These dishes are famous in Nepal and are ones I really know how to make well,” she said.
She admitted her momo dumplings may be her favorite. Available in vegetarian or pork, these steamed dumplings are tender and served with a flavorful dipping sauce.
Also on her menu are some Indianinspired vegetarian samosas.
“Nepal is located between China and India so some of our dishes look like Asian foods and some look like Indian foods,” Sunuwar said. “They are similar but different to the versions found in those two countries. In Nepal, we have our own unique spices, tastes and recipes.”
Born and raised in Syria, Fayha Sakkan moved to the United States in 1992 with her husband. Just as the other two chefs, she is cooking dishes that she grew up with in her home country.
Surprisingly flavorful and beautifully plated, Sakkan’s chicken kebab with rice is a dish that is probably a good place for the less adventuresome to start. The generous portion also makes it perfect for sharing if trying other dishes as well.
You can taste the freshness in Sakkan’s tabbouleh. More parsley-based than some versions, this Middle Eastern salad makes a refreshing side to all her dishes.
To round out her team, Langer asked Juan Viramontes to make the move from California to serve as general manager of the restaurant. Also an immigrant, Viramontes moved from Zacatecas, Mexico, to southern California when he was 10 years old. Having been in the restaurant business the majority of his life — he started as a bus boy at age 12 — he brought to this startup years of experience in restaurant operations.
“It truly is a team effort,” Langer said. “Juan, who moved from California to serve as the general manager, and the ladies all took a leap of faith by working with me and getting behind that crazy idea.
“We are doing a revenue share model, and the goal is truly to empower the chefs and their assistants. I want to not only make a difference in the chefs’ lives, but also to extend it to their communities by creating jobs.”
Viramontes has created a menu of globally inspired hand-crafted cocktails for the cafe.
“I have a Mexican Mule, Syrian sangria, a cocktail with Nepalese green tea and a Sudanese Sundown made with hibiscus tea on the new drink menu,” he said.
Not to be left out of the culinary experience, Viramontes will offer a daily special based on his Mexican heritage.
“We are exposing Memphians to food that they might have never had before and that they probably would never had an opportunity to taste without traveling to different neighborhoods in Memphis,” Langer added.
Whereas each of the chefs has his or her own unique stall in the cafe, there’s no need to limit yourself to one country when ordering. When looking at the tables around you, you will see a mélange of dishes from all chefs. Be adventurous and take advantage of this truly unique global experience in Memphis.